


Innocence Died Screaming

by Crab_Lad



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DC - Fandom, Titans (TV 2018), Young Justice
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Canon Compliant, Canon is an all you can eat buffet and I am a picky eater, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Donna Troy is Dick's older sister, Eventual Happy Ending, Gen, Getting Together, Group Therapy, I meaNNNN, Kon-El | Conner Kent is Superboy, Love Confessions, M/M, Mention of blood, Mild Blood, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, POV Dick Grayson, Pining, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Protective Dick Grayson, Queerplatonic Gar/Rachel, Season/Series 02, Therapy, Wally West is Alive, anyway, eventually, listen sometimes we need to be gay and be poly okay, sorta - Freeform, yeehaw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27216679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crab_Lad/pseuds/Crab_Lad
Summary: Dick's at his lowest point. The others have left, after finding out the truth about Jericho. He has no where to go, no idea what to do. It feels as though everything is spiraling out of control and there's only one person who's ever been able to force him out of the whirlpool of his own emotions. But that person may not want to see him.Or: Dick and Wally had a falling out and now that Dick has lost the titans, he doesn't know where else to go.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Donna Troy, Dick Grayson & Garfield Logan, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Joseph Wilson, Dick Grayson & Kon-El | Conner Kent, Dick Grayson & Koriand'r & Garfield Logan & Raven, Dick Grayson & Rachel Roth, Dick Grayson & Raven, Dick Grayson & Wally West, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Dick Grayson/Wally West, Garfield Logan & Raven, Jason Todd/Rose Wilson, Joseph Wilson & Rose Wilson, Kon-El | Conner Kent & Garfield Logan, Kon-El | Conner Kent & Krypto the Superdog, Koriand'r & Raven (DCU)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so originally this fic was gonna start as "hey lets put wally into titans" and then uhhhh i decided to rewrite the second half of Titan's season 2 bc it made me Sad and then I fell in love with Tim and now I'm going to eventually add him in :elmofire: This is gonna be. A wild ride just bear with me uwu
> 
> Title from Eden by Hozier uwu

_ Ring. _

Dick stared at the phone, the unfamiliar number scrolled across the screen. He sat in his shitty motel room, staring blankly at the peeling wallpaper. God, maybe it was too much to ask, maybe it was too much to hope for. But everyone else had left. The tower would be fine without him, Gar and Conner would be fine without him for a bit. 

_ Ring _

Fuck. This was a bad idea. Hadn’t he learned his lesson with the others? When he fucked up, no one wanted anything to do with him. And all of it, the secrets, this call, was to just stop him from being lonely. He should’ve never asked Bruce for Barry’s number, should never have- 

_ “Hello?” _

Dick took a shaky breath, clenching his fist before speaking, “I know I’m the last person you would want to be talking to right now. It’s been years and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if you hang up on me. I had no idea what to do.” 

“ _ Grayson _ ,” Wally grunted from the other end of the phone, “ _ you got some nerve calling _ .” 

“I know.” 

There was an angry, breathy chuckle, “ _ Fuck, Dick. Really? It’s been ten fucking years. Why now? _ ” 

He inhaled, flattening his hand against the table. There’d been enough lies, enough hiding from everything. Bru- well the vision of Bruce had been right. All his “protection” was just so it was easier on people. Maybe this way to shove off that lonely feeling that always crept in, chilling him from the inside out, maybe this was just another attempt to get his conscience back in order.

“Because I’m scared of what I might do.”

“ _ So you’re asking me to get in between your bullshit again _ ,” Wally scoffed, voice going hard. “ _ Fat chance, Richard. You lost that privilege when- _ ” 

“I know,” Dick cut Wally off, desperate to not lose the one line he had holding him down right now, “I know. I don’t deserve it, fuck, Walls, I don’t deserve a lot right now.”

There was a woman’s voice, heard but not distinguished. Wally responded, but it was quiet enough Dick couldn’t hear it. Not for the first time, Dick realized how bad of an idea this had been. Wally had moved on, Wally had his own life. Maybe he was married by now, what if he had a kid? He hadn’t given up the hero life, that much Dick knew. 

“Is that Artemis?” Dick couldn’t help himself from asking. 

Wally hissed, “ _ No. But even if it was that shouldn’t matter to you. You don’t have the right to ask, not after what you did. Not after you were the Bat’s lapdog. Look where that’s gotten you now? Huh? Your Titans? You left us and replaced us with them? Where are they now? Why aren’t you running back to them? _ ” 

Dick closed his eyes, attempting to breathe steadily through his nose. God, fuck, this was an awful, horrible, idea. Maybe he just liked torturing himself. It was easier to deal with one disaster after another than to actually address what had happened. 

And yet he was hurtling towards the edge of a cliff, threatening to tip off the ledge at any given moment. This could only stay bottled for so long. There was a breaking point, Dick knew where that usually led. For once in his life, he clung to something he knew was sensible (almost), something he knew would stop him from reacting, and cause him to respond instead. 

His hands shook, heart in his throat as he tried to keep it together. He tried to remember how Bruce did it, how he was able to shove down his thoughts and feelings to get through the day. But then again, being like Bruce is exactly what got him to this point in his life. With Jericho, Dawn had said to be like Batman, and in the end Jericho had paid the price. He left the Young Justice to impress Batman, to follow in his mentor’s lead. 

“They left,” Dick mumbled, trying to steady his tone. “They left.”

“ _ Goddamnit,” Wally cursed quietly, followed by a rustling noise, “Where the hell are you _ .” 

Something scarily close to hope bloomed in Dick’s chest, growing like a sprout. It was enough to stop him from shaking, to make up his mind of where he wanted Wally to meet him, where he needed Wally to meet him. It was a bad idea to leave Conner and Gar alone, to put that responsibility on Gar. 

“San Francisco, Titans Tower,” Dick said, before rattling off the address. “I’ll- I’ll be there in an hour.” 

“ _ Just for the record, I’m not doing this for you. I owe Bats one, so I’m doing this for him _ ,” Wally growled out, before hanging up. 

Dick sighed, dropping his phone on the table. He was on the other end of San Francisco from the Tower, if he rushed now he’d get there before Wally. Still there was some part of him that wanted to continue on to Nevada, to go and speak to Jericho’s mother. If he went now, it would only be to ease his own personal guilt. It wouldn’t mean anything to Adeline. The Tower it was, and he’d need to get there fast. 

\--

“Hey! Hey! Good kitty, take it easy,” Dick heard come from the living room of the Tower, stepping out of the elevator. A yelp rang out, “Goddamnit, Grayson, you know I hate cats!” 

A low growl greeted Dick as he stepped into the room, watching Wally circle around Gar in tiger form. The kid crept forward, snarling in warning, with Wally backing into the counter and looking for a way out. Dick couldn’t help his smile at the scene, casually strolling up to pet Gar between his ears. 

“Welcome to Titans Tower, Kid Flash. How did you get in?” he greeted, one hand in his pocket. 

Wally’s expression hardened upon seeing Dick, “There was an open window. Used that when I couldn’t get in the door. What’s the jolly green tiger for?” 

Dick patted Gar on the head twice, waiting for the kid to transform before taking it away. He offered Gar a hand up, which the boy actually took. Gar looked between Dick and Wally, before squinting at the newcomer. Wally simply stood, arms crossed and unimpressed. It had been so long since Dick last saw Wally, had last spoken to Wally. The whole situation just felt so surreal. Intangible, as if any moment, any wrong move and Dick’s hopeful connection would shatter.

“Okay, who the fuck is this, Dick?”

“Who the hell is he?” 

Both spoke over each other at the same time, pausing to glare at each other. Dick’s heart warmed at the protective demeanor of Gar, knowing the kid was probably terrified but determined to protect. Wally gave the kid a once over, pausing before his brain caught up with his eyes. 

Wally yelped, covering his eyes, “Why the HELL is he NAKED?” 

“Gar, go get some clothes on. Let me catch Kid Flash here up on everything… then I’ll fill you in, okay?” Dick promised, turning from Wally to meet Gar’s eyes. 

The kid looked like he’s going to refuse at first, but Wally continued grumbling, backing into the island with hands still over his goggles. Finally, Gar nodded. Dick turned back to Wally to give Gar some privacy to run back to his room. Finally, Dick had the freedom to look Wally over, noting the new suit. Not only was the color scheme different, but the suit had been given a major upgrade. It seemed to be plated, much like his old Robin suit. The classic yellow Dick remembered had been replaced by red, much like Wally’s uncle’s. However, different from the Flash, Wally had silver accents rather than gold, with the lightning bolt in the center having a silver hue. 

“New suit?” Dick asked, trying to break the ice. His tone was light, airy, but just like when they were kids, Wally could see through him.

“No suit for you?” Wally countered back, unimpressed. His foot tapped impatiently next to him, his fingers tapping against his arm. 

“I uh-” Dick paused, glancing away. He fiddled with his fingers before looking back at Wally. “I burned it.” 

Wally’s face fell slack with shock, but held back, guarded. Then he blinked, taken aback as he stared Dick down. Uncomfortable, Dick fidgeted under the scrutinizing gaze. While most people weren’t able to leave Dick flustered, Wally was different. The older speedster always had a way of getting under Dick’s skin, reducing him back to that need to impress. It was different than with Bruce, with Bruce it had been more of a hero-worship. With Wally, he just wanted Wally to see him as an equal. And yet, with everything that went down, Dick knew he didn’t deserve it. 

“You burned… your Robin suit?” Wally asked slowly, raising an orange eyebrow at the vigilante. 

Dick shrugged, shoving his other hand into his pant pocket, “I’m not Robin anymore. But you upgraded.” 

Wally crossed his arms, frowning, “I’m not Kid Flash anymore.” 

He had nothing to add to that, so Dick simply hummed in response. The silence that followed was thick, stifling. It was almost suffocating in awkwardness and stiffness. How did it all end up that bad? What happened to the easy flow between the two from when they were kids? He knew, however, exactly what it had been that tore the two apart. The same way he knew it was his fault the Titans were scattered. 

Dick opened his mouth to talk, but before he could, his phone went off. Quickly, he pulled it from his pocket and was surprised to see Donna’s caller ID on the screen. He looked up at Wally, nodding at the phone before answering. 

“Donna?” 

“ _ Dick, thank God,”  _ Donna replied breathless. Dick could recognize the worried tone in her voice, fear and apprehension. “ _ Rachel’s missing. We got stuck in traffic and then she just… left. I can’t find her anywhere, I’m still in the city.”  _

“Shit,” Dick barked, already headed towards the computer room. “Text me the address and I’ll be there.” 

He hung up before Donna could respond, grabbing his jacket from where he left it. Shit. Rachel out on her own was dangerous, not just to other people, but to herself. She didn’t know what she was fully capable of, or how to control it. Why hadn’t he taken the time to help? He had noticed, and yet he had been so focused on his own personal struggles he hadn’t helped the one who had become like family to him. Then there was onna, he had  _ thought  _ Rachel would be safe with her, and then the Amazon had gone and lost her. Dick dug his nails into his palm, clenching his jaw as he stormed into the computer room. 

“Uh… mind telling me what’s going on, Rob?” Wally asked, casually leaning against the walls. 

In his panic and anger, Dick had forgotten Wally was there. But the sentence, along with the nickname shot a dagger straight through his heart, reminding him of everything. Right, Wally was here because he called, because everyone left him. Rachel was in danger, Gar was still here with Conner and Wally was here. And the others… had left him.

Dick sighed, running a hand down his face, “One of my trainees, Rachel, she left with Donna, but Donna said she went missing. I need to find her before she gets hurt, Wally. I need you to stay here with Gar and Conner. Gar is a good kid, he’s able to change into different animals. Conner is unconscious, he’s… a clone, I think, of Superman and Lex Luthor. If he wakes up, call Bruce and get in touch with Clark. I have to go handle this.” 

Dick rushed to leave the room, but before he could, he felt a hand grab his wrist. Without thinking, he yanked his arm back. But he did pause, observing Wally. The other looked pissed, face scrunched up and eyes blazing. It was a fury Dick had seen in Wally far too often since the entire debacle with Artemis. 

“You don’t get to give me orders here,” Wally sneered, that anger from earlier appearing once again. Dick knew he deserved it but it didn’t stop it from stinging. “If you want me here, to help with whatever shit you got yourself in, I give the orders this time. Everyone’s coming, or I’m leaving.” 

Grinding his teeth together, Dick stared Wally down. Everything in him wanted to yell at Wally, wanted to demand he stay here with the other two. Yet the last thing he needed right now was to ostracize Wally again. The gap was already wide enough, there was no point in making it worse. 

“Wally,” he tried, placatingly, “we don’t know what we’re running into. I need you to-”

Wally’s face twitched, and a second later Dick found himself pressed against the wall, “I said  **_no_ ** .” 

“Wally-” 

Dick watched as Wally’s jaw clenched. The redhead pushed Dick harder into the wall, causing the divets to dig painfully into the vigilante’s back. The speedster's nose twitched again, scrunching up as he ground his teeth down. One side of his mouth curled up in a sneer, eyes burning. 

“What did I fucking say,” he growled out, “I said we’re doing this my way, or we’re leaving. I tried it your way. Look how that worked out. You may have been the leader when Kaldur left  _ Rob _ , but you’re not my fucking boss here. We’re taking the kids, finding your damn runaway and fucking Wonder Girl and then you’re going to explain exactly what the hell went down.” 

Dick let out a breath, raising his hands in surrender, “Okay. Okay, fine. We’ll do it your way until it comes to when we find Rachel. You don’t know her like I do okay?” 

“Fine,” Wally scoffed, crossing his arms, “I’ll let you handle your damn kids.” 

A surge of protectiveness roared through him, but Dick reminded himself that Wally wasn’t trying to be rude about the kids. Wally loved kids. He was just furious at Dick and needed an outlet. Dick would let him have his outlet… until this was all over. Then they would say goodbye and… Dick would never see him again. Wally would go off to help his uncle Barry as part of the League, and Dick would remain here, with Gar, Kory, Conner… and hopefully Rachel. It would be fine. It would have to be fine. 

“Where’s Donna?” Wally asked, tone softer but still harsh. At least he didn’t sound like he was spitting venom anymore. 

Dick checked his phone for an address, “She’s at a soup kitchen. It’s ten blocks from here.” 

“Alright. We’re bringing Tiger Boy, and leaving Supe’s kid-”

Before he could finish, he was cut off by Gar’s worried voice, “Hey guys… Conner’s awake!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> conner wakes up, they get rachel back, and some donna dick bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyo i'm gonna try to post a chapter a month, with each chapter being roughly 2000-3000 words. Anyway, I'm lowkey writing this on the fly so if things don't make sense,,, they will soon. Plot will be furthering soon!! we're just working on getting everyone together, upping the tension between dick and wally, and of course we have deathstroke to deal with hehe

“You can call… Superman?” Conner asked quietly, slipping on the shirt Dick had handed him. 

Frankly, Dick wasn’t sure what to make of this… clone? Child? Of Lex Luthor and Superman. He had seemed harmless, going so far as to save Jason. But he had the mind of a toddler, and the power of a god. There was no way of knowing what Conner could do or would do. So far, Dick didn’t see he could be of any harm, yet he knew that could be wrong. It wouldn’t be the first powerhouse to appear as an ally only to turn and cause destruction. 

“Yeah,” Wally responded, moving closer to the Kryptonian. “We can call ole big blue, if that’s what you want. We just have to find Dickie Bird’s friend Rachel.” 

Conner nodded, looking at Wally curiously. Dick couldn’t help but watch as Wally took over the scene, keeping Gar back while maintaining Conner’s focus. Wally always had a way with kids, and honestly that was what Conner was. Even if he had the body of a teen or young adult, Conner was still only a week old at most, at least based on what little he had told them and what little Eve had said. Still, as much of a stranger as Wally was, Conner seemed to trust him. It spoke volumes of the kid’s intuition… or naivety. 

“Rachel… the girl? She helped save me.” 

Wally frowned, looking over to Dick for help. Dick simply nodded in response, remembering how Rachel had used her powers to contain Kory. A raised orange eyebrow greeted him in response, but he nodded again. 

“Yeah! Yeah her, the young one?” Wally agreed, “She ran off, got into some trouble. We’ll find her, come back and help connect you with Superman okay?” 

Conner looked down, thinking before looking back up, “Can I help you? With Rachel!” 

He was oddly expressive, but then again Dick remembered that the kid had literally been “born” a week ago, and had no experience holding back his emotions. Conner hadn’t grown up like the rest of them, he hadn’t had a childhood other than running from Cadmus. It reminded Dick on how many of them didn’t get a childhood. Dick himself had been raised as a child soldier, to be Batman’s contingency plan for if  _ Batman _ went rogue. Not to mention Rachel who witnessed her mother’s death at the age of 15. Maybe… as much as Dick loved Clark- Maybe Superman wouldn’t be a good fit for Conner? It ultimately wasn’t up to him, but he couldn’t stop himself from worrying. 

Dick went to respond, but remembered what Wally said. They were doing this Wally’s way or Wally would leave. So he sat back, and let Wally take command, ignoring the confused look Gar sent him. Gar didn’t need to get between this. Whatever would happen, Wally and Dick would handle together. The others didn’t need to get involved. Not after everything. 

“Yeah, buddy,” Wally replied, patting the kid on the head. “Yeah of course.” 

The hopeful, relieved look on Conner’s face was almost enough to bring up Dick’s mood. 

* * *

It was hard to look at Donna, to see the anger and disappointment on his childhood friend’s face. But it was even harder not to blow up at her. Dick had let his anger slip a bit, tearing into Donna before Wally got between them and stared Dick down. Donna had looked between the two curiously, and it had been a surprise when Wally introduced himself as Impulse. He wasn’t all that shocked on Wally not revealing his identity to the others, Wally didn’t owe them anything. But Impulse was Bart’s name… at least if Dick was remembering correctly. 

Still, Donna and Wally hit it off from the start, easy banter between the two even with Wally’s flirting. The flirting wasn’t genuine, honestly Wally had grown out of chasing people long ago. Still, it warmed him to see his two closest childhood friends get along. 

They tracked Rachel down to a small place inside an abandoned building. There were other kids there as well, all wearily looking at them. One of them stepped forward, concern clear on their face. They quickly lead the group to the back, where Rachel was curled in a ball her powers lashing out. 

It was a horrifying scene, far more dangerous than that time at Doom Manor. Here, the waves of darkness looked sharp, ferocious. They looked as though they wanted to bury deep in him and tear him apart. But what really hurt him, was the look on Rachel’s face. Tear tracks, fresh and dried ran down the girl's face. Wally finally looked at Dick for guidance, and Dick didn’t hesitate to get into the space, crouching down. 

“Rach,” he spoke gently, dropping down on his knees. He cast a glance to the group behind him, gesturing them out. “Rachel, can you hear me?”

Rachel shook, a sob falling from her lips, but she managed to nod. The crystal on her forehead was glowing a horrible red, eyes similar shade when she opened them. She caught sight of Dick before flinching back with another cry. Instantly, the dark tendrils lashed out and struck Dick’s wrist, digging painfully. He gritted his teeth, continuing forward and ignoring the slick feeling of warm blood trickling down his wrist. He had promised, so long ago now, that he would never leave Rachel.

“Rachel,” He gasped out, “Remember Doom Manor? Remember what I told you then? I’m here, I’m not leaving you, you’re not alone.” 

This reminder had always calmed her from nightmares in the past, it had been so long since a meltdown happened while she was awake. He just hoped he was enough, hoped that despite the trust he had broken with her, Rachel would still trust Dick. That trust was something he needed in the moment… Dick just hoped it wasn’t so far broken she wouldn’t use it now.

Rachel slowly unfurled, blinky those eyes up at him. They were flooded with tears, but she slowly reached out for Dick. Softly, he gripped her hand, pulling her into his chest. The hold on his wrist vanished, leaving it punctured and bloodied. He ignored it for now, focusing on rubbing Rachel’s back with his other hand in her hair. 

Relief flooded him, knowing that she still trusted him. She still believed in him enough to let him get close, to let him comfort her. It wasn’t the first time he held her like this, and it was relieving to know she still let him. Rachel was important, and honestly she was the reason Dick finally understood why Bruce took him in. Dick was just glad he was able to do the same for Rachel, give her a home that she could come back to. Yet he ruined it didn’t he? Maybe this was his first step forward. 

“Remember what we talked about, breathe. Count with me, 4 in, 4 hold, 4 out? Breathe, Rachel, breath. This power is yours to wield, you control it, it doesn’t control you.” 

She nodded shakily, taking in a stuttering breath. Slowly, Rachel counted to four by tapping her fingers against his arm. With each tap, slowly the darkness weaned out letting the light back into the room. She repeated it several times over before finally, all the darkness vanished and the red glow stopped. The girl collapsed in his arms from exhaustion, shaking as she cried. He shushed her gently, holding her and brushing a hand through her hair.

With a nearly imperceptible sound, Wally sped next to him, kneeling softly on the floor. The redhead looked at Dick concerned, clearly concerned for Rachel. But then the speedster grabbed Dick’s hand, took bandages from somewhere and began bandaging the small puncture wound. When he finished, Wally dropped Dick’s hand, looking over at Rachel. 

“Is she okay?” He mouthed, not making a sound. 

Dick titled his head, only to find Rachel halfway asleep already. Nightmares… or whatever this was, tended to make her tired. She always fell asleep soon after, he was just glad he was actually here to help her. The idea that she would handle it on her own…

Dick nodded in response, tucked the girl closer to his chest, and mouthed back, “She’s tired. We should go home.” 

With a thumbs up, Wally sped back into the other room, no doubt to let the others know. Dick felt himself relax, dropping his chin to rest on Rachel’s head. He let out a shaky breath, just happy to have her back. Trust had been broken with her, and Dick was determined to build it back up. He needed to, needed to let her know she had someone on her side, someone who cared. 

Carefully, he slid his arm under her knees, letting his right cradle her head. Dick lifted Rachel gently, keeping her close and well supported as he carried her out of the room and towards the group. Donna rushed over, checking over Rachel while Gar stayed back cautiously, not sure if he should approach or not. Dick was thankful he didn’t. The last thing they needed was for Rachel to wake up, overwhelmed, because she was crowded. They could say their greetings at the tower. 

Dick lifted her, carrying Rachel out to meet the others. They were all standing around waiting, each tense in their own way. Conner seemed to be looking off to the distance, as if he heard something and was trying to locate where it was coming from. Still, the boy looked anxious, and even his dog was whining, circling around his legs. 

It was time to go. Whatever was unsettling the Kryptonian and the Kryptonian dog, they had to leave, now. Silently, he looked over at Wally, nodding his head minutely to Conner. Wally caught sight and saw the signs Dick did, nodding. 

“Alright gang, into the van time to head back to the tower,” Wally replied cheerfully. 

“Okay, hold on,” Donna said, casting a glance between Dick and Wally, “Since when do you let others call the shots, Grayson?” 

This is what he had been avoiding, explaining why he wasn’t taking charge, why he was deferring to Wally. And now with everyone staring at him, it wouldn’t do good to ignore it. So he sighed, adjusting Rachel in his arms. 

His voice was grave when he responded, “Since I’ve learned I’m not trustworthy of being in charge.” 

Wally snorted, bitter, “Yipee, he finally admits he did wrong! Now let’s go.” 

The others just gave Dick a glance before piling into the van Wally had found. Dick just let himself into the back, resting against the seat and holding Rachel close. 

* * *

It was midnight, stars dotting the sky and the lights low in the tower. Dick’s whole body ached, from years of injuries and just plain old exhaustion. His eyes hurt, yet he couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. He had, for hours, attempted to sleep. But he couldn’t. So instead he had found himself in the common room, holding a cup of tea from the kitchen. The tea reminded him of Alfred, who would make some for Dick whenever he had nightmares as a kid. It was then when he realized just how much he missed the butler. 

“Why are you up?” 

Dick turned, seeing Donna standing on the other side of the room. He relaxed, letting his shoulders sag as he patted the space next to him. In all honesty, he didn’t expect her to sit next to him, or care. Sure they were life-long friends but after everything, he wasn’t sure she’d want to. So it shocked him when he felt her settle down next to him and rest her head on his shoulder. He merely sighed, letting his eyes fall closed as he rested his own head against hers. 

“Couldn’t sleep.” 

She hummed, taking his free hand in hers. They were silent for a while, taking in the presence of one of their closest friends. 

“I’m sorry,” she finally said, quiet and fragile, “I shouldn’t have walked out on you. After everything we’ve been through, I’m sorry I let that tear us apart.” 

He shook his head, “No, Donna, you were right.” 

“I wasn’t. I mean, I was about the lying thing, but I was wrong to leave. I was wrong to blame you.” 

Dick let out a sharp exhale, thinking over his words carefully, “I- I can’t answer that honestly, without being biased. It hurt watching you all leave, but I knew it was my fault. Just like what happened back in the church. I shouldn’t have lied to you all, all those years ago. I’m sorry.” 

“Jericho’s death? It wasn’t your fault,” She muttered, squeezing his hand, “you didn’t kill him.” 

Her admission did nothing to lessen the guilt in his heart, and he knew she knew that. 

“And how do you know that?” He asked, opening his eyes to meet hers. 

She grinned, “Older, smarter, prettier, remember?” 

“Yeah,” he huffed, smiling back, “I remember.”

It was nice to be in her good graces again. He felt bad for yelling at her earlier, but they knew each other well enough that she understood it wasn’t about her. She understood it was about Rachel. 

“Thank you,” he finally said, “for coming back. For giving me… another chance.” 

“Well thank your friend. He was quite convincing,” She teased. “Speaking of, Impulse? I sense you too have a history.” 

A history. Yeah, Dick certainly had a history in ruining the good things in his life. Far too often had he ripped people from him, tore them from his life, driven them away. The Young Justice, Bruce, Jason, the Titans. Even Barbara wouldn’t talk to him anymore. 

“You could say that,” was all he responded.

She nodded, but remained silent. Soundlessly, she took the t-cup from his hand, and placed it beside them. Then, she pulled him closer, tucking her chin over his head. It felt good to have his sister back. It felt good to be in her arms after everything. God, he owed so much to Wally. But baby steps he supposed. Donna came back because she wanted to, Gar had stayed, Conner wasn’t angry at him, Wally had come back and Rachel had chosen to come back. If this would be all he got he would accept it. 

It was so easy to lull himself into a sense of security, protected by the arms of someone who cared. Donna trailed one of her arms along his back, holding him much like she did when they were kids. It was comforting, as always. Within minutes, Dick found himself drifting off into a dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr is crablad <3

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr is crablad <3


End file.
